11:00 AM
As more companies seek out Atlanta and the surrounding region to accommodate their data storage requirements, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is responding by adding Senior Managing Director Frank Clementi, a 30-year veteran of the technology and real estate industries, to concentrate on data centers, co-location, investment sales and tenant representation.
“Atlanta is fast becoming one of the top data center locations in the country,” said Bryan Loewen, who leads NGKF’s global data center group. “To develop and operate these specialized facilities here is more cost-effective than other regions in the country and that’s generating quite a bit of interest from major companies.”
For example, in September, Twitter leased 80,000 more square feet in downtown Atlanta at a mega-facility, called Metro-Atlanta, constructed and owned by Quality Technology Services. The developer plans to add another 100,000-square-foot data center in downtown, while also expanding the existing one. It also is looking north of the city to Suwanee, Ga., to develop a data storage campus, noting double-digit annual demand growth. Other investors are getting into the action as well including Charlotte, N.C.-based Peak 10, which just completed a 15,000-square-foot center in Alpharetta, Ga., with plans to construct two more facilities at the site. The Zayo Group, based out of Boulder, Colo., in July acquired the AtlantaNAP data center, a 72,000-square-foot facility in the city’s downtown.
The data center market nationwide is growing as more of the globe becomes increasingly wired. Right now, less than 30 percent of the world’s population has access to the internet, so the upside potential is enormous. Atlanta and the surrounding region offers a great East Coast alternative because of low land prices, cheaper labor and energy costs that are less than the national average. It also offers state-of-the-art fiber connectivity, which results in low latency.
“I am thrilled to be part of NGKF’s data center group as we craft solutions for our clients, not only locally in Atlanta, but worldwide in conjunction with the firm’s international presence,” said Mr. Clementi. “We have the expertise and broad reach to address the tremendous need for data centers, storage and processing power that is in demand.”
Mr. Clementi, who spent 23 years in the information technology industry before transitioning to commercial real estate, offers the unique ability to understand clients’ data center and co-location strategies. His background includes providing companies with mobile enterprise software, Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems, Disaster Recovery Services, voice/data networking systems and Wide Area Network (WAN) solutions, both domestically and internationally.
About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank is one of the world’s leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with London-based partner Knight Frank and independently-owned offices, NGKF’s 12,000 professionals operate from more than 330 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents.
With roots dating back to 1929, NGKF’s strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. NGKF’s full-service platform comprises BGC’s real estate services segment, offering commercial real estate tenants, landlords, investors and developers a wide range of services including leasing; capital markets services, including investment sales, debt placement, appraisal, and valuation services; commercial mortgage brokerage services; as well as corporate advisory services, consulting, project and development management, and property and corporate facilities management services. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
NGKF is a part of BGC Partners, Inc., a leading global brokerage company servicing the financial and real estate markets. BGC’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol (NASDAQ: BGCP). BGC also has an outstanding bond issuance of Senior Notes due June 15, 2042, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol (NYSE: BGCA). BGC Partners is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Howard W. Lutnick. For more information, please visit http://www.bgcpartners.com/.